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“I’m convinced by the quality”
PRESS CONFERENCE WITH DANIEL THIOUNE AND CLEMENS FRITZ
04/02/26 | 3 Min
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The first day on the job for any new head coach always includes facing the media. On Wednesday, Daniel Thioune and managing director of sport Clemens Fritz answered questions from journalists and spoke about…
…the decision-making process:
Clemens Fritz: “We launched a structured process and drew up a shortlist of four candidates. We had very good talks with all of them over the past few days. I’d like to clarify that nobody turned us down because of the quality of our squad. In the end, we made our decision last night, and I’m pleased that we were able to convince Daniel of the path we’re on at Werder. Now it’s about approaching the upcoming matches and tasks with positive energy.”
Daniel Thioune: “When Werder call and you have the chance to take over a very good team, you don’t have to think twice. I’m convinced by the quality here. I’ve never hidden the fact that coaching in the Bundesliga has always been a goal of mine.”
…the team's situation:
Daniel Thioune: “The team haven’t got the results everyone in Bremen would have wanted in recent weeks. But they never deserved to lose – they just missed key moments to swing games in their favour. The lads need that feeling again of scoring goals at one end and of letting nothing past at the other.”
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…the talks:
Clemens Fritz: “Our discussions with Daniel went into real depth very quickly, especially in terms of tactics and positioning – that was very impressive. On top of that, he has a positive and approachable manner. In the end, it was the overall package. We had a good feeling very early on, even before the talks had finished.”
…his approach:
Daniel Thioune: “We’ve scored too few goals and conceded too many in recent weeks. In transition, we haven’t finished our attacks well enough, and defensively it’s hurt us at the other end. The players need to get back to making simpler decisions. At the weekend, I saw the best goal in Bremen – and if you can do that, you can also do it when you’re through on goal. We only have three days now. I don’t want to overload the lads – first I want to understand what the team needs.”
Photos from Daniel Thioune's first day at SVW
…the defensive setup:
Daniel Thioune: “On Saturday, we’ll play in a way that gives us the best chance of picking up points in Freiburg. Whether that’s with a back three or a back four hasn’t been decided yet. It won’t be a blueprint for the coming weeks either. I’ll sit down with the coaching staff again shortly and then we’ll make a decision.”
…young players:
Daniel Thioune: “The Werder way is to develop young talent. The current situation maybe isn’t ideal for a lot of experimentation, but in certain moments you can throw young players in. If they earn it through the effort they’ve put in, I’ll be the last person to keep players wearing numbers 55 to 68 off the pitch.”
…time to implement his ideas:
Daniel Thioune: “I’ve already introduced some of my ideas in training. My aim is to get forward quickly and play more vertically than wide – not with long balls, but through short passing. In transition, we’re not where we need to be, because the gaps are still too big. A new way of communicating can help with that. If I can ignite something in the starting XI, combined with a few tactical principles, that’s exactly what the lads need right now.”
…the assistant coaches:
Clemens Fritz: “We now have one more coach than in the previous setup, but there’s no shortage of work. Daniel is in charge, and in principle we’re not planning major changes. I approached Raphael proactively because I know about his connection with Horst. I see him as a strong assistant coach who’s contributed a lot and done excellent work. In the end, he felt comfortable continuing in this role, and I’m pleased he’s joining us on this path.”
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